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(CNN) – Graham Rogers unsheathes a long, thick knife from his waist.

[4:30] “This is a very special knife because this has got an engraving of Daniel Boone on it, who’s the great Kentucky outdoorsman and the settler of Kentucky, so we really hope that’s going to buoy us to success today.”

Rogers is wearing a beige fishing shirt and green pants tucked into tall rubber boots. He sports a pencil thin mustache and round, tortoise shell sunglasses that make him look like Howard Hughes on safari. He and his friend Blake Freeman are about to start law school, but before they dive into the books, they’re diving into the bush. They have driven down to southern Florida from Kentucky to join the nearly 1,000 people who have signed up for the first annual Python Challenge.

Native to southern Asia, Burmese pythons have found their way into the Florida Everglades. The invasive species is wreaking havoc on the ecosystem, eating everything from raccoons to deer. The problem has forced the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) to get creative, and now they’re offering anyone interested the chance to hunt down the mammoth snakes for a $25 registration fee and a half-hour online course.

“Isn’t that ridiculous?”

Dave Leibman of Weston, Florida has spent his free time hunting Burmese pythons for years. In fact all his friends call him “Python Dave.” He captures the snakes alive and turns them into the FWC to be euthanized. He thinks the snakes deserve to be killed humanely and doubts the Python Challenge is the way to do that:

[6:47] “The state has to do what the state has to do. They want to try and protect our ecosystem. This is what they came up with. I’m sure they could’ve come up with something better, but so be it.”

The hunters have their work cut out for them. The FWC says there are tens of thousands of the snakes in the Everglades. Rogers admits he and Freeman are scared, but says they will hunt through the night until they get one:

[5:17] “We’ve got to kill a snake. We’ve got too much riding on this. Too many friends, too many people are going to call us amateur hunters if we don’t kill a snake.”

The month-long Python Challenge kicked off January 12 and runs until February 10.

use the army, navy and mexican drug cartels to go in there with weapons and kill all the bad snakes. then when they have kill off all the snakes allow a route for drugs to the cartels to use, the army can train there, and the navy can stay on allert for other invasive species like elepghants, alliens, and sea monsters.

we should run canals that flow from fort myers to miami, bringing water from the gulf into the everglades where all the Bp Oil can kill off the snakes and other wildlife in the area. once all the animals are dead then we can dry out the everglades, into a dessert like places, flood if from lake okkechobee and grow millions of acres of shirmp farms, that will be realeased into the gulf to start a huge fish kill that will contaminate the entire world.

we should burn down the everglades from one point to the other, the deer will flee into cities and towns where they can easily be shoot, killed or hunted. and the everglades will be ready for "re-appointment of natural resourses". no more snakes or alligators, just fresh oranges and sugercane ot charge the cars of the future, that will prevent this horrible event from happening in other parts of the world

the solution is simple. build homes, parks, and shoping centers in places where snakes could live, then they will die off along with the rest of the animals getting in the way of human progress. It worked great for miami and naples, lets see what we can do about the everglades, indian reservations and other undeveloped places.

.....no....I wouldn't hunt it, but if you live in the U.S. where almost every species is "fair game", then good luck keeping the thing alive. Heck, they have a hard enough time not hunting EACH OTHER, let alone something that could "make em' feel more like a man".

Yes I would I'd have no problem. A deer that is eaten by a snake was caught by surprise. It's not like athe deer couldn't out runs snake. Other humans have created this mess it's the job of other humans to clean it up. There isn't a season for invasive species. Florida has nice warm weather as well so while you hunt the snakes you get fresh aire that's a bonus.

Snakes are slow movers. Just take a machete and whack off their head any time you see a python...Burmese or African rock . It;s that simple. The bounty idea seems best to me. Like they said it worked on wolves why not snakes ? With so few killed as of now only gos to show that it should be open season all the time ! Eat the snake and sell the skin 🙂 It worked on gators didn't it ?

Just put a stop to the import of the snakes, outlaw ownership, (neuter zoo snakes somehow), place a bounty on any python/boa brought in and enterprising people will do the rest. Case in point: the wolf. A bounty alone almost eradicated it.

It is already illegal to bring in invasive animals that are not indigenous to the US (except zoo's). If we are unable to control the pythons that are already we are going to have the same problem we are now with the Asian carp (flying fish) that devastates eco-system and everything in its path because it too has no natural predators except humans.

Not saying I have an answer but if we can address potential problems before they become one we might be better off. Get rid of the pythons now through hunts, programs and we may be able to keep them at a manageable number.

This is a pest that can be eliminated via the market place. Google python skin boots. Designers are getting up to $2500 a pair. Some of those big snakes can produce 10 pair. Snake meat contains roughly 93 calories per 100g (3.5 oz) of raw meat. This is roughly half the calories and one third the amount of fat of a similar amount of sirloin beef steak. Time for some of the trendy restaurants in Miami to do their part for the environment... and turn a tidy profit. Some enterprising chef ought to be able to come up with a recipe that they can charge $50 or more a plate for. Since the pythons are Burmese.. maybe an Asian/Florida fusion cuisine?? Stir fry with some ginger, soy sauce and veggies?

You make a good point: My Granddad told me the story about the Carrier Pidgin, they were so numerous that they were a problem, they had a big pick nik in Washing DC and Carrier Pidgin was the main course, after that people everywhere started eating them, wasn't too long they were extinct.

Only if it takes you "2 full clips" to get ONE clean shot to the head, which is all it will really take to kill these shakes. Hunting them with assault rifles makes chicken hunters feel more like "a warrior" which they are not.

Many of the pro (human) lifers, including myself also believe Genesis 1: 26-28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Then what do you "pro" (human) lifers do with Exodus 21:22, which states, "If men quarrel, and one strike a woman with child, and she miscarry indeed, but live herself: he shall be answerable for so much damage as the woman's husband shall require, and as arbiters shall award. " If seems here that the product of the pregnancy is "property" and not "life" or else the penalty would have been death, and not a fine.

If there ever was any 'word' of 'god', the men writing it down reworded it to suit and reward themselves. God should have done the writing herself if she wanted it done right. It's pretty obvious that dominion over others of any kind has been greatly abused, perhaps even leading to the destruction of the planet.

Not true ask "EB" aka Elaine Bobbit yes mam she sliced and diced, and it came back to life by some schmuck surgeon who was funded by "PETA" hmmm sounds like peter... IT's Alive!!! It's Alive !!! aka Joey Butafucu Life's like a box of candy lmao

PETA and the other bleeding idiots need not open their traps. THese snakes are destroying the Everglades. And while they're at it , there are some primates that need removing as well. Do the bounty thing like they do for Pike Minnow. 10 dollars per snake plus 5 buck a foot.....

Hey Linda, you posted " Convince Asians that python is better than rhino horn and tiger whiskers combined to raise their 'spirits'. " but someone said you really wanted to say "Convince Illegal Aliens living in this country that if you catch pythons totaling your total weight you can have legal US citizenship guaranteed. Python problem solved thank you Thank You Very Much..... just kiddin Ms. Linda but I LMAO about your asian convincing comment funny crap........

You don't need to convince an Asian like me to eat snakes. I like snakes. Problem is that ugly people like you would throw me into jail for killing and eating snakes. Or you would want me to pay you (for license) for killing something that is dangerous. Just look at nutria problem in Louisiana.

Actually I correlate the snakes to the Republicans...always slithering and trying to get their way. Additionally they are always trying to get people to eat the forbidden fruit (Adam and Eve) of bad ideas for the economy, legislation, or poor decisions in general and pass it off as something good.

The bounty system works great, but costs tax money to fund.
Create some good menu items, and sell $5 licenses to collect the snakes for sale to eateries
It would be a good idea to have inspection stations to make sure the meat is "fresh" clean and disease free.

I'm all for killing these predators. They have killed one child and countless pets. I have killed 2 in my yard in central Florida, one ate one of my chickens. Kill them all! You don't have to pay me to do it.

And just because YOU said it happened, doesn't mean it did! Could an ocassional pet fall prey? Sure, but "countless"? I don't think so! "Countless" means too many to count! Have any links, sources? Didn't think so!

Python's are good to eat. However, the ones in Florida have extremely high levels of mercury due to pollution from coal plants and smelters. The mercury level is about 3 times higher than the level found in the alligators. Don't know why these snakes are getting so much more mercury than the other stuff in the area.

Ha, it's 3 times the ammount found in the alligators, not 3 times the "safe" level of mercury. The alligators have alot of mercury also. For some reason though, the pythons seem to be a major mercury sink.

Multi dose vials do contain Thimersol, which has a small amount of mercury. Single dose vials contain no Thimersol. Don't know the EPA limits, or the amount of meecury in a single flu shot dispensed from a multidose vial. Do know EPA is continual environmental exposure, not single dose. Thimersol is used as a preservative in many medicines and has been for a long time. Just ask for single dose vial when getting the shot.

No the coal plants and smelters kick the mercury up into the atmosphere and it comes down in the rain. The coal plants and smelters don't have to be in your back yard for their pollution to affect you.

First let's stop the useless insults. All rednecks are not fat (Larry the Cable Guy). The other half are skinny (Willie Nelson).
Some rednecks have PhD's.
I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and now live in Florida. Not every Brooklynite goes "Yo fuhgeddaboutit."

I used to be a cop in NY. I found it more fun and exciting hunting humans who had guns. I got shot once. I shot 3 others.

Sorry, but blowing away a python would not turn me on.

Most of the people who are hunters are just doing what humans started doing a few hundred thousand years ago.

What bothers me about some people who "hate violence" is the hypocrisy of going to see Steven Seagal snap someone's neck or Stallone machine gun a boatload of people.

We should all be realistic about our humanity. Here is my vision for settling "Who has the right view of society."

Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesday we all go to Disney and ride a little boat and sing "It's a small world after all."

Thursday, Friday and Saturday we play Rambo.

I don't hunt humans any more. But I found a legal, and profitable way of killing my fellow human beings. I day trade at Puretick dot com every day. I try to take away some poor slobs savings for his/her kid's college.

Most intelligent post on here! Good work Mick, but I've heard numbers up to 300,000! Run those numbers if you have time! It's really comical! I've had several friends go down to the Everglades searching for "wild" Burmese before this hunt was organized! Most spent almost a week down there and exactly 0 were found!

Obviously, this is not the best way to get rid of the pythons. FWC deserves props for creative thinking. These things are a horrific environmental disaster, and the FWC doesn't have the resources to do it themselves. Hopefully they will come up with a more effective solution and can get the funding.

ok ok lets cool off here .i understand both sides views.this should be left to trained wild life officials .these hunts will always bring out the im daniel boone im going to kill something nut.they are doing so much damage to the everglades something has to be done.the truth is every scientist says its imposible to completly get rid of all tha snakes so at this piont it just keeping thier numbers under control.......all i can say to to the red neck hunters is be carefull and tread lightly in tha everglades it is a wonderfull place dont do more damage in the name of this hunt

any time that I hunt in the everglades in the tall grass I always use a very large knife. Once you or any one else shoots a gun every living thing is gone for hours and you might as well just go back to your camp and rest, you also only hunt at dark just after the sun goes down because the snakes and other animals don't come out in the heat much.

It is not the fault of these beautiful creatures that they find themselves in the Everglades. Yep, that;s right; another man-created problem that nature has again to pay for. They just have to be killed, right? Kill it...kill it!!! The mentality of a Neanderthal. Captured alive ( not hard to do if you know a few simple things ), they could be housed and taken care of by thousands of people like. Pay me, state of Florida and I'll see to it they are not harmed and at the same time, allowed to live as all creatures, great and small were born to. What threat to humans do they pose? You morons that participate in this 'hunt' are nothing more than rednecks. Let's see how tough you are given the opportunity to snag 18-foot, highly venomous cobras, eh? Florida has too many retired yankees living in it with far too much money that have convinced a corrupt government there is only one way. Brutality and mindlessness as is typical of man. May God have mercy upon your sick souls.

I find that comment very disrespectful. You have no idea how a Neanderthal thought or acted. The best knowledge you have is a guess. Also, people kill things. Period. We are animals, we are hunters. It is healthy, what is unhealthy is the fact that you abhor any killing. Go eat your Big Mac and sit on your high horse you sad industry slave.

No real animal lover would have these creatures or any other creature housed in a tiny cage, out of it's natural environment to begin with. And now that they are out of control in a position to ruin the environment for many, many other species, the only solution it to eradicte them. Maybe you and the rest of the fools who believe reptiles make great pets will think twice the next time you consider having one for no reason other than to fulfill some need to be different.

I love snakes, and think it's a shame they have to be killed. It's not their fault, but I'm not sure there are many options because of the size of them. We can't even find decent homes for children, for snakes it's even more difficult. Yes, the red necks will go after any thing...I'm not sure they can all read either.

actual real question: Did a python from the wild kill a child in Florida or are you referring to a "pet" that escaped from it's enclosure and killed a child in that house. I haven't heard of a python attack in the wilderness (in the U.S.), although I realize it could happen. Parents who keep large constrictors are asking for trouble, but I like to think that's just Darwin keeping it real.

Apples and oranges oldbones! Of course, nobody wants to see anybody, let alone a child, get killed, but we're talking about wild Burmese Pythons in the Everglades, and your talking about an unfortunate incident involving a "pet" and a very irresponsible pet owner! Do you know how many dogs and horses kill people/children in a years time in FLA? Of course you don't, cause they're not "snakes"! BTW, there's alligators in the Everglades too and they wouldn't think twice about taking down a child!

The snakes have never been said to be a threat to humans. They are killing the native wildlife at a rapid rate. They are an invasive species. So you can capture all the nearly 100,000 snakes and they will never escape from any of the captors to invade the wild again....right.

There was an episode of Cops where a Florida cop gets a call about a huge snake in somebody's front yard. The cop shows up, and finds a 20 foot long snake in a front yard. The cop picks up the head of the snake, and I swear he had to use two hands just to hold the head. He says "Oh this has to be somebody's pet". So he got some help, and they managed to get that snake stuffed into a huge duffle bag. Then this guy drives up and says "Oh, you found another one" referring to the snake. The cop says "What do you mean another one?". The guy then says "Yeah, somebody let a pair of these loose a long time ago, and these huge things have been turning up around here ever since.". You could see the blood drain out of the the cops face as he says "You mean I just stuffed a wild python into a duffle bag?

I wonder what the Python's hide is worth. In the Southwest, Rattlesnakes are hunted, caught and sold live by the pound. Many experienced hunters earn hundreds of dollars for an afternoons work/play. However, I doubt a bunch of inexperienced people traipsing around in the wild is going to yield much of anything except subjecting themselves to the dangers present in those types of areas. Poisonous insects, snakes and the physical hazards of rough terrain shouldn't be taken lightly. Healthy critters are quite difficult to locate and apprehend, It takes someone experienced with their terrain, habits, mannerisms and way of life to find and catch them consistently.

Citation please? Here in Utah, killing or capturing almost any snake, including rattlesnakes, is against the law. They keep the rodent population down and help to support a healthy ecosystem. In Florida, they're hunting them to protect the environment. Hunting vipers in the Southwest would be hurting the environment. What are you thinking?

The "let's kill it" people don't get it. In most cases predators keep down the Infestation or populations of other species. A perfect balance until humans interfere. Bats are a good example. They kill millions of insects, but now because of the White-Nose Syndrome millions are dying. So unless we find a cure, we will soon be over run by insects – not good for farmers. Without farms you know where that will leave the rest of us...

"Captured alive ( not hard to do if you know a few simple things ), they could be housed and taken care of by thousands of people like me." It's people like you who released the snakes and created the problem in the first place.

This seems likely to be more harmful than helpful. A bunch of amateurs out there trampling the place and probably leaving a bunch of trash behind seems unlikely to help the ecosystem much. And if I was out there I would be less worried about the snakes than about getting shot by a drunk snake hunter.

A lot of people don't understand what you have just written. This is exactly why I don't let people hunt on my land.I would not leave trash on my land so why do other people think it is ok for them to do it?

Agreed, it sucks that more hikers aren't also hunters because habitual hikers land husbandry is generally amazing! I am currently on a hunting hiatus, but I still walk off the trails with a plastic bag full of OTHER peoples trash.... Sickens me that people do that. (Barring organics of course. Apple cores, peels ect.)

I've killed several large and angry rattlesnakes that were in or around my home and could not be safely relocated. The thing about snakes is they keep moving even when you chop the head off. The head can still bite (a big deal with vipers, less so with constrictors...although they can still give you a good nip and give you an infection), and the body can still coil. I wonder how many "let's go shoort stuff" knuckleheads are going to get themselves wrapped up in dying pythons. It's kind of a comforting thought. I like snakes, and I mourn the ones I have to destroy.

Its really sick to see a group of fat southern rednecks with rifles hunting down such a magnificent animal! I like snakes, esp the large constrictors. I understand this has to be done in order to save the native wildlife, but cannot help imagining what it would be like if the snakes hunted us down instead. After all, aren't humans the species that destroys the balance in nature more than any other? Lets not show snake skins on CNN, and dead pythons! I'd like to see one of those overfed Southerners instead in the snake's belly!

Thank you for exemplifying the snootiness that permeates from the coasts in regards to "fly over country." Would you prefer that many indigenous species are rendered extinct, or would you prefer the "fat rednecks" save them by killing the pythons? I am from Los Angeles as well, but sheesh, get off your elitis high horse

so as a snake lover you don't mind the fact that the eco system in the florida everglades is being destroyed by the owners of these invasive snakes. its o.k. with you that the population of native animals are being made extict by these snakes. the truth is that there should be a total ban of the import of all snakes, lizards etc. into this country . if you are a lover of wildlife you should be concerned that these reptiles are being abandoned by their owners . leave the snakes in their natural enviroment if you love them.

From the rules for the hunt: "Pythons removed from Everglades National Park tested high in mercury levels- too high for human consumption. While it is not a violation of state rule to eat python meat, FWC cautions that the Florida Department of Health nor the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have stated that the meat is safe to eat."

You can't fire a gun at night, so the hunting is being done just before sunrise and just after sunset. For someone with no large-snake experience, a gun is the preferred weapon...but they do allow other methods, and you can hunt at night.

Not true, man is the worst offender to the ecosystem. I have seen more dead birds from being hit by cars or flying into windows than what feral cats do. The statistic on how much one cat can kill was calculated by taking what one particular cat in Great Britian killed and then multipling by all cats. Most feral cat colonies live at starvation level and are usually around a food source (restaurant dumpsters). In the case of Florida the roaming feral cats have probably been eaten by these snakes.

Ok – So we have Florida going after the Burmese because of the Invasive Species reasoning, and I am completely down with that. Those things are nasty if in a good mood.

Can we get Cats added to the next hunt? I only ask because it was Europeans who brought them to the US, so technically, they are an invasive species. 10 cents a hide would be a fair price, and no shooting anything with a collar. With all the ferals that are running around, it would help the homeless out. They have plenty of time and know how to get some good profits.

I'm not usually a big fan of hunting but in this case it is definitely necessary. These snakes don't belong there and need to be removed. This is turning into an eco-disaster. I'm skeptical that the hunt will make much of a dent in the population but something needs to be done and what other solution is there?

Hi, I grew up in North Central Florida and caught snakes all the time as a kid. We would easily catch 100 snakes a year, including coral snakes, rattle snakes, pigmy rattle snakes, as well as rat snakes, black snakes, water snakes, etc. Never was bitten by a poisonous snake, but was bit in total at least 100 times from non poisonous snakes in my lifetime. I also owned a pet reticulated python that grew to 24 feet long and just under 200 lbs. It was dog tame and was a great pet for 20 years. Being around big pythons I can confirm how strong they are and there were a few times that cleaning her cage that I would wonder "what if" she decided to turn on me... could I survive an attack. My gut says yes, but remember this was a tame snake and I would argue that wild snakes should have more experience and more of an aggressive disposition. With 2 people you would simply grab the tail and unwind the snake to remove it.... if she coiled on you and trapped your arms I could see how a solo person could be killed (squeezed until your blood pressure caused a heart attack, or if you were in the water it could drown you quite easily). FL now has a law that you have to chip your big snakes and have a permit....so when I had this snake, that was not required.... but I have to agree that it is a wise move by the state of FL. As someone who loves snakes, it does bother me they are killing them, but I also understand they are not native to FL and thus they are changing/damaging local wildlife that normally would not have this new predator in the food chain. I can appreciate both sides of the debate. I guess I don't think they are going to catch/kill more than 2% of the total python snake population and I would argue more local snakes are likely to be killed in the effort. That being said, I have no good ideas on what could be done otherwise to stop the spread of snakes in south Florida... I think they are here to stay.... Just saying.

....just for the record...the ~100 snakes a year we would catch were always returned to the wild an not killed. A few of the big rattle snakes that were in areas that other kids played were killed for safety reasons (note most snakes hunt in a grid/pattern that would return them to the same area time and time again). Coral snakes were relocated far away from anywhere kids were playing. By far the coolest snake we would ever catch is the FL indigo snake, we measured one at over 9 feet once and took pictures... almost a purple black and once caught was surprising tame.... just an amazing snake that you don't find often enough in FL anymore. Rat snakes were by far the most common snakes we would find (red rat snakes surprisingly rare). Coral snakes were easy to find if you knew where to look. We had fun when it rained really...really hard on paynes prairie as the water would push the snakes out to dry land and you could find some big snakes... mostly water snakes, but lots of others. Growing up in FL, everyone would automatically try and kill every snake they could find... the only good snake was a dead one in their book... we thought we were saving a lot of snakes by relocating them into the deep woods, but I am sure we never even made an impact ...even though we tried hard to change the thinking that even poisonous snakes are good/critical for the balance of the ecosystem.

I wonder if that's what my dog grabbed up. I just called it a black snake (central Florida). Poor thing was just sunning it's self. Fortunately, dog quickly let it go, hopefully the snake was unharmed. I guess for a rat terrier, if it moves they think it's fair game. He actually looks for snakes; once was about to attack a black water tree hose until he realize it wasn't moving. That 's life here in Florida.

Eww-www, snakes terrify me. I used to watch my mom (this was during the dinosaur area) kill rattlers in West Texas when they came anywhere close to the house. I think if I lived in Florida, you would make a wonderful neighbor in case one of those creepy crawlies came round.

Smaller animals have been almost entirely eliminated, some of those populations are down more than 90%, Pythons are being found in swimming pools and inside homes. Family pets and small children are easy targets for these snakes. Organized hunts for these invasive species are long over due.

Exactly what small animals are you referring too? Do you have any specifics or are you just spewing out bogus media/political info you read about? Again, are BP native? No! Do they belong in FLA? No! But they eat the same endangered/non-endangered species that your native alligators eat! This whole story has been completely sensationalized and overblown! The final numbers on Feb. 10th will prove that! (that's if they don't lie about those too) BTW, American Alligators greatly outnumber BP in the Everglades and will gladly grab a small unsupervised child if given the chance!

hey marlena, wake up !!! They do not belong here .... what part of that don't YOU understand???
They wipe out creatures that do belong here....If you do not understand the situation perhaps it
is better to say nothing...you know, keep your mouth shut

@Marlena: I think your ignorant yourself... you realize that this continent does not naturally have pythons, that these are introduced invasive animals. That these animals are destroying the natural balance in the Everglades. As an example... eating the deer, that the endangered Florida Panther feed upon, lowering their numbers. If left unchecked, could breed their way all the way up to the Carolinas, and possibly further. They could destroy natural habitat and balance, and possibly endanger our native species....

It will be amazing if there isn't a problem with someone getting killed by a snake... because they are letting a lot of amateurs go out to try to kill the snakes. Yes, more professionals may have been hard to find but they probably know the danger they are really dealing with.

I've heard that before from "reputable" sources, but the pythons were already in the 'glades and breeding before 2004 (hurricane charley). Let go because they got too big or owners got bored with them.